Because Acceptance is beautiful, and Heaven is overrated.The poetry and musings of Erin Monahan

Monday, May 1, 2006

huevos grande

I generally avoid political conversations. I've learned my lesson over the years. But I'm going to venture into the unknown today. So, just out of curiosity, what are all of your opinions on this immigration thing going on right now?

Personally, I have no problem with immigrants. Some of the Mexican guys I've worked with over the years were harder workers, and nicer people, than a lot of the Americans I've worked with. But the way I see it, if you want to be here, in the USA, for whatever the reason, then you should be here legally. You want the American life, than live the American life, and abide by the laws that govern said life.

It pisses me off to think that so many have come over illegally, and now want us to change our laws to accommodate them. That's some huevos grande, if you ask me. I'm glad I'm not going anywhere today, and will therefore avoid any of the May Day protestors. I doubt I could hold my tongue if I were to run into any of them today.

9 comments:

My daughter-in-law is from the Philippines. It took my son a year and a half to bring her here, legally. Now that she has been here for almost six years, worked hard, gone to school, and become a citizen, she wants to bring her mother over for a visit, to see the little boys. So far, it has been about a year (legally), submitting all the papers etc etc etc, qnd she is not here yet! We joke that she should go to Mexico, climb the fence, and hitch-hike to Utah. I have no problem with people coming to work--legally. I think it's a slap in the face of those who are trying to do it the right way to allow those who ignore our laws and sneak over borders!

Hi Erin. Want to start by saying that I'm not an undocumented immigrant and I don't know any. But in defense of what's going on today and just to give you something different to think about, I'll say two things:

1. in particular with regards to Mexican immigrants, I try not to forget that until about 150 years ago when the US invaded Mexico to increase its slave holding territories, the states of Texas, Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah were part of Mexico. We took those states from them and along with that the resources (think oil, agricultural) that they would today be able to use to support themselves. A lot of people think that this is a baloney argument, that Mexico should get over this by now but those are probably the same people that say black people should get over the Confederate flag. I'm not even saying that Mexicans realize this when they cross the border, I'm just saying that the fact that we expanded our territory by taking theirs is a big reason that there is a lot of poverty there today.

2. Another big point with me is the culpability of the companies that hire undocumented workers. There are entire industries (i.e. Smithfield NC meat packing) that rely on undocumented workers because they can pay them less. To me this is where the fault is. If the low-paying jobs weren't available for Mexicans to come and get, they wouldn't come here. But these companies that do this are just trying to get away with not hiring Americans, who would never work for such low wages. These industries and companies hire undocumented workers and then take advantage of them. In my opinion they should hire legal American labor and pay them a "living wage."

And we took the whole country from the Indians! Do you think then that "what's past is never past?" Do we still owe everybody for things done ages ago? Make reparations for crimes we didn't commit? Repay the Japanese for property we confiscated years ago? I don't know. Just wondering ....

I try to empathise with the undocumented worker. If I were living near such a prosperous country as the US, and my family was poor and hungry, I would do what it took to find work and wages that would feed and clothe them. It would not be hindered by political or legal barriers. If there was a job to be had in the US. I would be right over the border and working as hard as was necessary to care for my family. I am not able characterize that as a criminal act. Shouldn't we be willing as a country to put in place a system to share our prosperity with those who are willing to share in upholding it. I think, magnanimity must be valued over political idealism.Happy May Day : )

pepek~Your first reply is exactly how I feel. I'm not in any way saying that the US shouldn't have immigrants, just that they should be law-abiding citizens.

Caroline~The past deeds, or misdeeds don't, in my opinion, change the fact that the US borders lie where they lie. If that theory worked, then the old laws would still apply on both sides of the now non-existant Berlin Wall. However, I completely agree with your #2, and I fully believe that employers who employ illegal aliens are just as (if not more) guilty as the illegal immigrants. It's a lot like the theory of supply and demand, IMO.

Pepek (again :) )~I really don't want to get too deep into that discussion, but I will, to a certain degree. I do believe that after a certain amount of time, it is too late to make reparations. I don't believe that african-americans my age deserve reparations from the decendants of slave owners... we didn't enslave anyone, and I'm not guilty of anyone else's crimes.

Michael~Shouldn't we be willing as a country to put in place a system to share our prosperity with those who are willing to share in upholding it.

Our country does have a system in place to share our prosperity... that's why we allow immigrants. I am not against the ideal of The American Dream, I'm against folks coming by it illegally. With the rights should come responsibilities.

Overall, I don't know, it doesn't seem like too much to ask. The rest of us have to follow the laws, none of us can just sneak into other countries illegally and expect them to change for us... why should the US be any different?

I just watched the news on TV, the rallys in the parks and at the State Capital. I keep remembering the contrasting pictures I saw shown on CNN this morning: guys climbing over walls and under fences etc, and another of several hundred people of all colors and races at their citizenship swearing-in. Tonight's news interviewed several people, among them one young Latino woman who said, "We deserve this!" and what I heard her say was "We deserve to disrespect all your immigration laws and all the people who are trying to come to your country legally." I think the "guest worker" idea is a pretty good one. Pay them the seven or eight dollars an hour anyone else would be paid, a fair wage, and when that job is done, let them go home. If they then choose to obey the laws that all the rest of us are supposed to obey, and become citizens, then that's great. Let them stay, welcome them as Americans.

I can see all these points. All I was trying to point out is, that we as a country have made some bad historical choices (and continue to do so) such as beat up & extinguish the natives, enslave, Africans, invade & steal Mexican land to meet our expansion needs, etc. And even though we persoanlly didn't have any involvement in that, we have to accept what is going on in those particular areas as the ongoing consequences of our actions. A country doesn't just get to be a bully and get away with it just b/c they're "America." And we all better get used to it cuz in 50 years our kids & grandkids are all gonna be having the exact same discussions about the Iraqis. What comes around goes around.

I absolutely agree that Americans have for many years felt entitled to take whatever they want, land/countries/people included. But it sucks just as badly that illegal immigrants feel entitled to come here and do as they please. It's all about respect, and there's a huge defecit in that area these days.

Of course America's arrogance has played a part in the build up of this, just as it played in the culmination of the 9/11 catastrophe.

However, the question still stands: Does that justify the idea that laws should be changed to accomodate these people, rather than be enforced in order to keep order in our society? American life, that which is glamorized in other societies, includes, and rightly so, an adherance to the statutes that govern our society, and they should apply to all people within our borders, without favoritism or exception.

About Me

Traveler of a winding path, content in my journey, unconcerned with the destination. Spiritual, not religious. Quirky, but not quite odd. Named for the place I come from, and which I'll likely never see. Trying to change the world one little bit at a time...